


Goodnight

by Bananas45



Category: B: The Beginning (Anime)
Genre: Blood, Gunshot Wounds, M/M, Mutual Pining, Surgery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-04-21 06:43:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14279259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bananas45/pseuds/Bananas45
Summary: Keith comes to Gillbert with a gunshot wound. Gillbert tries his best.





	Goodnight

**Author's Note:**

> Purely self indulgence. It doesn't make much sense. I just love these two. 
> 
> I wrote it in one sitting so i think there are mistakes...and a weird tonal shift towards the end.

"Are you still at work?" 

Keith always says stupidly ambiguous things like that. He loves his theatricality and when Gillbert answers "Yes" with the intention to then ask "Why?" Or "What have you done?" Keith hangs up.  
Within half an hour there is a knock on the glass to his office. Keith stumbles in.  
"You're bleeding" Gillbert says, It is a stupid thing to say because it is so evident.  
It's a summer evening and Keith is only in a white shirt so the blood shows through vividly and for a heart wrenching moment Gillbert thinks the bullet hit Keith's chest.  
"Keith" He says, warning and low as Keith ignores him and paces like an animal.  
"I need you to..." Keith trails off.  
Gillbert knows what he needs and with a soft shake of his head he raises his hands.  
"I'm not qualified, Keith-"  
"Bullshit, Gillbert" Keith snarls and Gillbert lets his eyes widen slowly and he stays silent until Keith knows he has to explain.  
"They can't know" He sighs and Gillbert knows he means his boss- Their boss. His laugh is disapproving.  
"Can't know you were shot? I wont ask" He mutters, pulling on a latex glove with a pop. Keith takes a deep breath and looks Gillbert in the eye, shrinking as he realises this means 'I owe you one'.  
"I haven't done stitching since med school" Gillbert says as he pats the metal autopsy table. "So bare with me" He's hiding his giddy excitement.  
Keith sits on it. He doesn't lie down which is a pity. Seeing Keith lying here would make Gillberts week.  
"I trust you" Keith says, eyes distant and Gillbert almost drops the tweezers he'd picked up. Never mind, that made his week.  
He stands infront of Keith who, back bent and hands folded in his lap, stares up at him, glasses just a little skew.  
"This will hurt" Gillbert warns because although Keith seems calm he knows what bullet removal without pain killers feels like. Or at least he went to an extensive lecture on anaesthetic-less surgery.  
"I'm going to take your shirt off" He says carefully and Keith nods as each button is methodically undone. A beed of sweat chases the movement of those slender gloved hands and Gillbert can only smile secretly at how many times he's dreamt of doing this.  
He looks over the oozing bullet wound. The veins are risen down Keith's left arm and the arm is trembling. It's not clean. There is no exit wound and Gillbert hisses gently.  
"I'm going to take the bullet out" He says and Keith braces.  
"Relax I'll give you warning" Gillbert smiles gently. He doesn't want to, he wants to shove his fingers into the wound and watch Keith writhe under him but with a trembling breath that passes as nerves he shakes those thoughts. Keith will trust him so utterly if he does this right.  
"It doesn't hurt" Keith murmurs.  
"You're in shock" Gillbert informs him with the grace of a ER doctor. Keith just moans and grits his teeth.  
"I drove here" Keith says like he's been insulted. "I'm not in shock"  
"I'm the Doctor." Gillbert says, childish and selfish. Neither of them have changed. He puts one hand on Keith's good shoulder and places the tweezers into the soft tissue.  
"You smell like Smoke, Ross'' Keith whispers. Gillbert gives him a forced smile and watches Keith twitch and brace for pain.  
"Don't antagonize me, Flick" He sounds as feral as Keith. Surrounded by blood and metal, Keith's blood. In a place he so often fantasized seeing Keith's blood. It's almost too much for his unwavering self restraint.  
Keith jerks at the tone of his voice and Gillbert watches his throat work to swallow.  
"Keith" He says, voice professional. Don't, don't, don't fuck this up, he thinks to himself. "I'm joking. It was a bad time but you can understand my...hesitancy. You've pulled me into your mess" He laughs sheepishly and says it quietly. Keith looks instantly guilty and a happy warmth spreads back through Gillberts chest.  
"I'm sorry" Keith says.  
"You wont be once I do this" Gillbert smiles and slowly pushes the tweezers in. "Breath in"  
Keith tenses, knuckles white against the metal table. Gillbert practically drools as blood seeps down his arm. Gillbert twists his hand unnecessarily and watches with hidden glee as Keith almost falls back in agony.  
"Careful. Easy, Keith" He says. This is much easier on corpses but the clawing breaths Keith is taking are compensation for his squirming. He clamps down on the bullet and begins to pull, glances briefly at Keith's fluttering eyes and too tight expression and almost, almost grins.  
"There" He says. Keith's skin is damp under his other hand and the skin is heated. He can feel Keith's gaze, frantic and glazed, on him as he pulled the bullet out. It drops onto the tiles with a splatter of blood.  
"Talk to me, Keith" Gillbert asks, voice stern. He doesn't want Keith to die here and the way he's swaying is a little unsettling.  
"Green" Keith says with a half baked grin.  
Gillbert lets out a breath and goes to the first aid kit.  
He pulls of the gloves and runs his fingers over Keith's shoulder. The skin on skin is infuriatingly intense. His hands are dry and cold against Keith's sweating, bloody arm but he makes sure his touch is purely clinical.  
"Well" He says, voice hoarse and Keith looks up to meet his eyes. He clears his throat and let's hand drop away. "You need to get it checked out. I did my best but-"  
"No" Keith says. Gillbert pauses and the silence is heavy, he turns on a tap to alleviate it.  
"You're joking aren't you?" Gillbert doesn't turn around from where he's washing his hands, lest Keith see the unbridled rage in his eyes. "I don't want it on my record" Keith just sits, Legs swinging on the autopsy table like it's a park bench and has that faraway mystic look that makes people think he's thinking deep thoughts. Gillbert calls bullshit. Keith isn't thinking about anything except fear. "Fine" Gillbert says, deceptively hurt sounding despite how little he's feeling. He's never sure if Keith buys his empathy mask. "But when you die of sepsis, which is remarkable common, it will be on your record regardless and I will be the one to take the fall. So for one second Keith, think about someone other than yourself." He snaps, unaware how loud his voice is. It echoes against the metal. He'll wake the dead shouting like that. With sudden and unexpected bone deep fear, Gillbert realises he's shaking. It's worse, it's sickeningly worse because he's not just shaking, he's terrified. Terrified of losing Keith. Keith is his to take, his and his alone but he's so fragile, so stupidly human and so utterly reckless. "Gillbert" Keith sounds shocked, voice open and vulnerable. Gillbert laughs harsh and a little too unhinged.  
"What? am I not allowed to worry about you?" He turns and Keith is stood up now. Concern etched in the shadows of his street lit face. He hadn't realised how dark it was in here.  
"I'm sorry" Keith says and slips his blood stained shirt back on with a sigh.  
"Don't be" Gillbert shakes his head in defeat. There is a pause as Keith stares at him and with a lurch of worry Gillbert wonders if Keith is sliding another piece of the puzzle together in his head. Something to do with him. "Let me tidy this up and I'll drive you home" he says and wipes his hands on his lab coat.  
Happily Keith does not object. 

"You know" Keith says over the hum of the radio. Gillbert smiles before Keith even says anything. He's curled up in the passenger seat in Gillberts jacket like some crushed house spider. "If you were shot, I'd do the same-"  
"Shut up Keith" Gillbert says but his laugh is fond and he feels it crinkle the corners of his eyes. Keith huffs a laugh in response but it sounds pained.  
"Thank you" he says softly and Gillbert glances over, catching Keiths eyes in the reflection of the window. Keith means it.  
"Keith" he says softly and pauses to consider his words. Smile still in place he balances his tongue on his teeth and juggles saying something too revealing and something too cold. Keith waits expectantly.  
"Don't ever get shot again" He says with chuckle and Keith lets out a hiccuped laugh. "Because my skills extend to weak surgery alone" "Weak surgery, weak coffee. I don't know why I keep you around" Keith sighs dramatically and drops his feet on the dash board, Stretching out with a yawn.  
"My coffee is fine, Keith Flick" Gillbert says and he'd wag his finger if he weren't driving.  
He loves his, whole heartedly adores having Keith like this.  
"Your coffee is adequate at best" Keith talks over him. Gillbert lets out a gasp of mock offence.  
"I just don't drink it strong enough to make me shake like some people do'' He says and Keith gives him a wry smile.  
He pulls up outside Keith's apartment and walks him to his door. Keith does remarkably well on the stairs considering how sore his arm must be. He pulls his keys out with a huff.  
"Will you be okay?" Gillbert asks.  
Keith nods and undoes his door. His foot catches it before it closes but he doesn't go inside.  
"Do you want to come in?" He asks Gillbert and his hand taps at the door like he needs an answer quick. Quick before he regrets it. Keith's eyes look as lonely as Gillbert feels and he can practically hear Keith ask not to be alone tonight but he wont ask.  
Gillbert wants to, he really does and Keith looks desperately willing but it's wrong. Keith bites his lip. He's in shock, wether he'd admit it or not and on top of that he has a plethora of issue, not to mention the fact they're colleagues. Gillbert is self aware enough to know that when faced with actual, genuine, real emotion he can't help but fall back on his PhD and training and he knows if he came in right now he'd be taking advantage and that would be a disservice to Keith.  
"I...I shouldn't" Gillbert says with an apologetic smile and understanding eyes. Keith snaps out of it with a blink and lets out a hiss through his teeth.  
"Yeah, what am I talking about" he mumbles and bounces the door of his hand softly. "I shouldn't have asked. Thanks again" he adds as an after thought. Gillbert squeezes his arm, the good one, and the touch says too much. Keith catches it all and gives Gillbert a hesitant smile.  
"Get some rest Keith" He says, Beginning to walk away. It's hard and Keith waits in the doorway like he'll come back.  
"Goodnight, Gillbert" He says softly but it carriers in the empty stairwell.  
"Goodnight Keith"


End file.
